e3 from Alliant

[Carlos]

http://www.alliantpowder.com/products/e3.php

The above link is Aliant's website where they have a chart claiming their brand new E3 powder is cleaner than Clays when used in a 12 gauge. Could this powder have potential as a USPSA/IPSC or IDPA reloading powder? Here is an excerpt from Aliant's advertising promotion:

"Alliant Powder's new e3 represents the next generation of reloading powder technology, and offers the clay target shooter what he/she needs to maintain the winning edge. This 12 ga powder possesses a perfect balance of the qualities desired by competitive shooters. e3 features reduced charge weights, is the cleanest burning 12 ga. shotshell powder available, and has environmental stability and ultra premium quality to provide more consistent and reproducible performance all-year round. It is destined to become the shot shell powder by which all others are judged, and like all of Alliant's flake powders, it is proudly made in the USA. Named after its core qualities of energy, efficiency and excellence, this exciting new powder offers 12-gauge target shooters a high-performance product that stands apart from the rest."

I checked their site's data list & there is no data listed for handgun use - as of yet. I am not generally a fan of ALliant products; I prefer V V and Hodgdon, but this new powder looks interesting & its made here. Anyone?

[Harmon]

E3=cleaner red dot. I dont believe that many folks are gonna be switching over....seems alliant powder is not really stuff the competitors like to use these days.. Titegroup is no better than bullseye, not any cleaner, not any more useful but nobody loads bullseye(exception of some of the 45 shooters)

i dont know why they dont use them, maybe because they cant get them for a deal like some other powders

VV powders arent cheap though... who knows??

[TBF]

I played with it some ( E3 ).

Search for " Alliant E3 " .

It works.

But then again , I still load Bullseye, so I must be strange.

NOT appreciably cleaner than Clays in 45acp major loads.

But , that would be a hard act to follow.

Travis F.

[Harmon]

i load bullseye, clays, accurate arms #2 and i have used a Lb or two of red dot in my 45s. so im strange too.

clays dont meter too consistently( or not as well as 231 or AA#2) bullseye is better than clays, but is dirtier. but bullseye makes some hella accurate 45 loads.

[Carlos]

Thanks Travis! The voice of experience - that is what I was seeking; you wrote:

"NOT appreciably cleaner than Clays in 45acp major loads.

But , that would be a hard act to follow."

Agreed! When I started out, it was w/ .45 Major & Clays is THE powder for .45 Major IMHO (though I hear great things about V V N310 in .45). If e3 is no cleaner than Clays, I cannot see a point in using it for .45.

Harmon wrote: "Titegroup is no better than bullseye, not any cleaner, not any more useful" I agree that TG is not terribly clean in low pressure .45 but have you tried it in higher pressure loadings like .40 or 9mm? I find TG clearly better. Also, check your SDs for TG v. Bullseye; I think that TG will yeild supperior consistency than Bullseye. Your results may vary.

How about e3 in other calibers? .40? 9mm? Always on the search for something better . . . D.

[TBF]

Carlos,

E3 has more or less the same dimensions ( flake wise ) as Clays, is dark like Bullseye. And meters more or less like Clays. It is cleaner than Bullseye. May be even AS clean as Clays, but no cleaner. I have not made a side by side comparison of fired cases.

In limited testing, it was cleaner than Tightgroup.

But my results for TG were not the same as reported by some other shooters, I did not find Tightgroup nearly as clean as Clays. TG ( for me ) was about twice as clean as Bullseye.

I will be loading more E3 in the future.

Travis F.